A 37-year-old Weehawken woman was rescued at the last moment before her car was stolen near the corner of 10th and Garden streets on Saturday, March 1, according to police reports. At approximately 7:53 p.m. on the day of the annual St. Patrick’s Parade, the woman, whose name was not released, was parking her Chrysler PT Cruiser, said Hoboken Police Lt. Paul DiMartino. As she backed into the space, she opened her door slightly to judge how close she was to the curb, DiMartino said.
According to DiMartino, as she opened the door, a man allegedly walked up, pulled her out of the car, and "hit her in her face." The man then allegedly jumped into the still-running car, slammed the door and prepared to drive away. Before he was able to do so, the woman reportedly noticed that her sweater was caught in the door and began screaming for help, fearing the car would drag her down the street, DiMartino said.
An unidentified local man who was only feet away helped extricate the sweater from the door before the car was able to drive off. According to police reports, the carjacking victim was only moments away from possibly being towed beside the car.
The car headed west on 10th Street and slammed into a car two blocks later near the intersection of Willow Avenue and 10th Street, according to witnesses. After hitting that car, DiMartino said, that the car caromed off that vehicle and collided into two other parked cars.
A marked police car that was in the neighborhood saw the accident and stopped to help. The officer, who originally did not know that the car was stolen, tended to the injured driver and the driver of a car he hit. But then shortly later an eyewitness told the officer what had happened.
Brian Kelleher, 22, of Madison, was arrested near the corner of Willow and 10th. Police said that the PT Cruiser’s owner, the driver of the other car that was hit, and Kelleher were all taken to St. Mary Hospital and treated for minor injuries.
According to police reports, Kelleher was allegedly severely intoxicated at the scene of the accident. He has since been charged with carjacking, aggravated assault, driving while intoxicated, and running a stop sign, according to police reports.
According to police officials, Kelleher was taken to the Hudson County jail, where he was released on bail.